Springwater Center holds silent retreats and provides space for personal retreats in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of Western New York. The Center land comprises over 200 acres of fields and forests, with a cascading stream and a pond. The Center itself has 16 guest rooms, a large common kitchen, a spacious meditation room and an outdoor area for sitting and eating. There is a vegetable garden and many lovely trails for walking.

The Center was founded in 1981 by Toni Packer and many of her friends. Toni was trained in Zen and chosen by Roshi Philip Kapleau to succeed him at the Rochester Zen Center. Toni was instead drawn to leave traditional forms of Buddhism to work with the essence of meditative practice--attending to what is here, in the immediacy of each moment.

Meetings with teachers named by Toni Packer are available for guests.

The sitting (meditation) room is available at any time. You may also sit in your room or other areas of the building, as well as on the many benches placed along the trails..

The atmosphere here is generally quiet, although we are not silent outside of retreats. Guests can be silent if they wish. Expect to hear sounds of daily life such as conversations, kitchen appliances, vacuums, power tools, music, television, etc. It is usually possible to find a quiet place in the building.

More information about guest visits, volunteering and retreats is available on our website.

Room Types: Cottage / Cabin, Dorm, Tent

Total Number of Rooms: 16

Food: Organic / Locally Grown, Restricted Diet Options, Vegetarian or Vegan Only

Meal Availability: Available On Site, Kitchen - Shared, Provided - Some Meals